For one thing, the Israelis are seriously pissed about the US going off and making what may be a massive mistake in allowing the Iranians to become a nuclear power because that is likely to set off a regional nuclear race.

While that may be grand for some of the US firms which could land big engineering and construction jobs in the future, it also makes the world a much more dangerous place to live since the more bombs there are, the more likely they are to be misused at some point. And even minus warheads, are we supposed to be dumb enough not to have noticed Fukushima. Think Iran will be better plant operators?

Every now and then, a President has to take a stand against countries that have become fixed on expansionist or megalomaniacal objectives. Truman on Korean, Kennedy on Cuba.

Despite the abject failure of appeasement, which runs from the school yard bully all the way to the Middle East/present-day, not everyone sees the need to draw lines and take hard action. And some, perhaps even members of congress, I would expect would be appalled at the presidential slack-handedness on Iran sanctions.

Give ‘em an inch and they’ll take what?

Hardly much mention of this, what in the heat of the PR campaign, but you did notice the Washington Institute pointed to what looks like an imperial presidency/rule by decree in their report “Sanctions Relief for Iran without Congressional Approval…” I know…tisk, tisk…don’t let a little thing like the frigging LAW stand in the way of an agenda, right?

And while “locking down America” continues, the long-running battle in Afghanistan to draw a line is ending with what looks like quick capitulation is coming. So terrorists, those bent on world domination, and heroin poppy growers are a bigger threat than Americans? I must have misplaced my fluoride treatments and ViceGrips.

Meanwhile, the inept LameStreamMedia haven’t figured out that in a country which already doesn’t have enough jobs, the LAST thing we need is wide open immigration to bring in even more people to take the government doll, which will require more taxes, while existing residents are left to fight over an ever-smaller piece of the pie.

Still In the Wings

And while we’re making the gravy, how about a fresh impasse on the new federal budget, too? There’s some momentary happy talk here, but we heard that wax and wane before the last shutdown, too, if you’ll recall.

More after this…

Let’s Blame the Shut Down (again)

If you’re on the edge of your seat for my pithy (or pissy?) remarks on Housing Starts, you can keep sitting rather uncomfortably because of this from Census:

The Census Bureau’s monthly New Residential Construction indicator includes statistics on building permits, housing starts and housing completions. On November 26 at 8:30 a.m., the Census Bureau will release estimates of housing units authorized by building permits in September and October. However, the release of new housing unit starts and housing unit completions will now be released on December 18, 2013.

So, we wonder, how long can the shutdown (where only 17% of government was impacted) be blamed for delays in statistical report? Who knows.

What we can share is the building permits report:

BUILDING PERMITSPrivately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in October were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,034,000. Thisis 6.2 percent (±0.8%) above the September rate of 974,000 and is 13.9 percent (±1.1%) above the October 2012 estimate of 908,000.Single-family authorizations in October were at a rate of 620,000; this is 0.8 percent (±0.9%)* above the September figure of 615,000.Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 387,000 in October.

HOUSING STARTS and HOUSING COMPLETIONSThe lapse in federal funding affected the data collection schedule for the Survey of Construction, the source of data on new housingunits started and completed. Accurate data collection for September and October could not be completed in time for this release. Dataon housing units started and completed in September, October, and November 2013 will be released on December 18, 2013.

Yeah, sure, whatever…five year high, but its mostly on apartments and who makes the dough on those? Not the renters, that’s for damn sure.

Futures pointing about flat and oil was up a tad, along with gold and silver.

So in the back of your mind, when you read how the Dept. of Ed. isn’t calling back the Detroit Free Press, the answer may be that taxpayers are usually only exposed to the budget (planned) income and expenses. The reality (actual versus planned) can be widely different.